Friday, June 24, 2016

Today is a bright and beautiful summer day with the temperature at 76F (24.4C) and the humidity making it feel like 85F (29.4C) but with the breeze it is comfortable to be outside.

This is an added bonus for me since I am going to use the Falconer for a Day gift certificate that Christine got me for Mothers' Day from the Ontario Falconry Centre.

Also with Ron home today which is very unusual, he is going to go with me which was a good thing otherwise I would have gotten lost and missed my chance to handle birds of prey.

He will take photographs of all the different kinds of birds and pictures of me while I handle, hold, fly and feed the various raptors.

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

When we arrived in Bowmanville, we were greeted by Sam Trentadue, owner of the Ontario Falconry Centre.

He explained that as falconer of the day this allows me one hour of all aspects that are involved in falconry. This consists of handling, holding, flying, feeding and information about all birds in involved in my one hour session as falconer of day.

Sam stressed that the most important thing to remember about birds of prey is that they are hunters and NOT pets and that they kill a wide variety of animals in order to survive.

He then handed me a cowhide gauntlet and explained the reasons why it was necessary to wear them when handling the birds of prey.

The first bird he brought out was a mature Red-tailed Hawk, which he transferred to my gauntlet and explained about the bird and its history as a hunting hawk.

They are found throughout North America and are very intelligent birds, learn quickly and have a more social disposition than all other hawks with the exception of the Harris's Hawk. This hawk is the one of the best birds for a beginner falconer to own to learn the art of falconry and having a fairly long life span they can keep the bird for many years as a hunting companion.

After taking the bird back and settling the hawk on one of the fence posts to relax and enjoy the sunshine, Sam brought out a young female Red-Tailed Hawk for me to meet and greet that was in training. She was one of the birds that I would fly later in the lesson after handling some of the other birds of prey.

Northern Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus subarcticus)

The next bird that was brought out was a Northern Great Horned Owl. Sam explained that the colours and markings on horned owls are a form of camouflage. Most of the owls in this area are various shades of grey and brown, having lighter coloured under parts with brown horizontal barring, which darkens along the sides. The back and wings are mainly a mottled brown having heavy, darker markings.

Whereas, the northern owls have the palest colour of all the horned owl species; with some birds from the far north of Canada having a washed out, light-buff colour overall with very few dark markings and seldom have any reddish colouration.

The bird I had on my glove was from northern British Columbia, while she still showed many of the markings, they are washed out, with the base colour being white with a hint of buff.

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus virginianus)

Sam brought out one of his favourite birds next, a Great Horned Owl affectionately called "Frankenstein".

He explained that Great Horned Owls will eat almost anything that moves, up to mid-sized mammals, reptiles, many types of birds including other owls and birds of prey. When finding live food is difficult they will also feed on carrion, which doesn't move.

Because of this they are often mobbed by a wide variety of other birds, including most birds of prey when they are found in flight or on an exposed branch. Crows in particular will dive at Great Horned Owls and will call to other crows to join in the attack; several incidents have been recorded of large numbers of crows gathering to mob an owl.

Owls are not as easily trained as many of the other species of birds of prey and once mature will usually be tolerate their handlers' wishes, but most eventually become aggressive and may attack their owners.

Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis atricapillus)

The next bird Sam brought out was a Northern Goshawk, which I often have around my bird feeders in winter. They hunt and kill some of the small birds and many of the squirrels. In fact this past winter the one hawk took over a dozen of the squirrels that used to regularly come to snack on the feed put out for the birds.

Sam explained that the Northern Goshawk is highly prized by falconers and has remained equal in popularity to Peregrine Falcons. They adapt to a variety of hunting techniques and will follow their prey into wooded areas and thick brush.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus alascanus)

Next he brought out a young 4 year old female Bald Eagle, weighing just over 10 lbs. (4.5kg.) explaining that they are slow to mature and do not reach sexual maturity until the age of four to five years. In the wild they have an average lifespan of 20 years. In captivity if well cared for, that age can be doubled.

They are one of the largest birds of prey in North America, second only to the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus). In Canada, a license is required to use Bald Eagles, while in United States they cannot legally be kept for falconry. As a rule, the bald eagle is a poor choice for beginning falconers, as they are often easily stressed, timid and unpredictable in nature.

The Bald Eagle, like the Great Horned Owl, consumes a wide variety of prey and they are not above scavenging from other predators such as bear, wolves and foxes or helping themselves to road kill. Fish are often a large part of their diet, followed by various species of water birds such as ducks, gulls and geese. They also feed on nesting seabirds from the eggs through to full grown adults.

Dead, injured, newborn or sickly mammals are often preyed upon and a variety of mid-sized animals including beaver, fawns, groundhogs, young goats, muskrats, rabbits, raccoons and seals.

Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)

After Sam set the Bald Eagle on her log perch so she could relax and enjoy the sun, he sent out three Harris's Hawks that landed on the top of his trailer and waited for him. He said that these hawks were imported from Arizona, U.S.A.

Sam explained to me that they are very different from other raptors in that instead of being solitary hunters, only coming together for breeding and migration due to their intelligence and social nature they hunt as a pack of two to six.

The group consists of a mature female which is the dominant bird, followed by the adult male and then the young of previous years. Not only do these birds cooperate in hunting, they also assist in the nesting process.

Next he had me go for a walk with him so I would be accepted into the pack. We were followed by by the hawks and occasionally one would fly ahead and wait for us to catch up.

When we got to the far end of the field Sam told me when he turned around to raise my arm with the bait and one of them would come for it, he then left me and walked away followed by the hawks.

When he turned around I raised the glove and the female launched herself from the ground and came straight in to land on the glove. Once she finished eating the bait I sent her aloft and she flew back to the group.

It is no wonder that this intelligent, sociable and easily trained bird has become one of the most popular hawks used in falconry.

Once I returned to Sam, he had put the Harris's Hawks away and was attaching a lightweight nylon rope to the jesses of the young female Red-tailed Hawk that I had handled earlier and set her on the perch.

He explained that she was in training and this was the reason she was on the rope. He would look after the rope and I was to concentrate on the hawk and try to get her to come to my glove for the bait.

I waited for her and then she finally came to the glove and ate the bait which was her reward. I then sent her toward her perch and she went straight to it without any detours. She was allowed to stay there and relax.

This was the end of my lesson and I spoke to Sam about learning falconry and he told me the Ontario Falconry Centre offers two programs: Intro to Falconry, the apprenticeship program for beginners and Advanced Falconry for those who have completed their apprenticeship and wish to take hunting with their raptor to the next level.

To begin the falconry program, you must complete an Ontario Small Game Hunting course and exam provided by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Once this is achieved, you will receive your Small Game License and can then register with Ontario Falconry Centre as an Apprentice. You most complete two Octobers, therefore, the duration of the Intro to Falconry is 15 months, or October to October, whichever comes first.

Armed with this knowledge, who knows, there may be a bird of prey in my future. I have to decide if I have the time to dedicate to owning and keeping a hawk, or to just content myself with watching my North American Kestrels and the many hawks which I see flying across my property.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

After posting the logo I had designed for the Ontario Pinto Horse Association last month (see post on 27 January 2016) I decided I would like to do a more recent version of each of the different types of Pintos.

This is the Stock type Pinto, which usually has Quarter Horse blood and in this category many Pintos are also registered as Paints.

One of the most common questions is "What is the difference between a Pinto and a Paint?"

Basically, the difference is that a Pinto is a colour and can be registered with the Pinto Horse Association of America, Inc. and a Paint is a breed that can be registered with the American Paint Horse Association and because of its colour can also be registered as a Pinto.

For more information about either registry please click on the links.

This original 8" x 10" framed graphite pencil drawing is available for $85.00. SOLD

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Today Norma and I went up to the Knoepfli Inn, which is located at 5484 Highway 124, in Magnetawan, Ontario.

We will be hanging paintings which will feature the Inn property on the walls in the Main Lodge, in the dining room and in the lounge area.

These paintings are by some of the members from the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group; who go there each year to spend a few days enjoying the peace and tranquility and paint the autumn beauty.

The owner of the Knoepfli Inn, Bea Kolman has often spoke of our Group to her summer visitors and many of them have requested that they would like to see some of our artwork of the Inn and surrounding area.

This year they will find artwork from eight artists of the Outdoor Painters' Group. Some of who have visited the Inn many times over the years and others who came for the first time last year and are looking to return again in the fall this year and to continue to take in the beauty of the area.

Many have been painting en plein air for a number of years, including Carol Atkinson, Diane Collins, Norma MacEachern, Lorraine Ryan, Vera Penrose , Sheila Stanley, Susan Sydney and Evelyn Van Hoekelen.

Some of the paintings in the Lounge area are placed around the mounted deer heads that have been a part of the decor at the Inn for well over 50 years. They feature many of the autumn landscapes found throughout the Inn's property.

Another is placed below the fishing trophy and it is fittingly of a fish coming out from a rock ledge after a lure.

Others showing the autumn colours of the area are placed over the piano in one corner of the lounge.

Lastly three paintings are on the wall by the stairs leading to Bea's private apartments.

Once you enter the dining area you are greeted to a wide variety of paintings of the area and of the many treasures that can be found on the property.

The wishing well, some of the mushrooms that can be found in the grass, that often form a fairy ring.

Other paintings feature some of the many things you can enjoy doing while spending time at the Knoepfli Inn such as canoeing, boating and fishing.

Others are of the many well-known buildings in Magnetawan such as St. George the Martyr Anglican Church which was made famous by A.J. Casson (one of the Group of Seven artists).

The 39 paintings will remain on display and offered for sale at the Knoepfli Inn from 22 June - 06 October 16 when the KAGS Outdoor Painters will once again return to the Inn for their annual paint out.

If you have a chance please come out and enjoy the artwork by appointment or book a cottage for a week or longer and enjoy the many features the Knoepfli Inn has to offer.

Monday, June 20, 2016

We have a beautiful full moon tonight and I thought it would be a good idea to do drawings of scenes with a full moon.

In the back field we had a pair of majestic, intertwined white pine trees.

Unfortunately, during a wind storm a couple of years ago one of the pines fell down.

I thought I would do a few drawings of the pines as I have seen them so many times in the winter with the moon glow shimmering across the ice and snow in the fields.

Moonlight 4

In the morning when the moon is setting in the west, it can often be seen peeking out from behind the branches of a grouping of three large maple trees that are at the front of the property along the western fence line.

Just before the sun rises I often see the long, cast shadows of these trees running across the snow on the track and on the rise to the infield.

Moonlight 5

Moonlight 1

I have property on the far side of the Snelgrove Brook and from there I have a clear view of my farm and at night in the moonlight it looks much like this sketch.

Moonlight 2

The view from the barn paddock overlooks the Snelgrove Brook and in the early years when we first bought the farm you could see the moon reflected in the water.

Moonlight 3

Along the east fence line by the house,the moon glow sends long fingers of cast shadow from the apple trees across the ground and creates some interesting patterns.

Moonlight 6

When I took night school classes at Sir Sanford Fleming College, I would return home late at night and would sometimes see the moonlight reflected on Chemong Lake when going through Bridgenorth.

Friday, June 17, 2016

This morning while I was out doing barn chores I saw that the butterflies are out and flying around, which are something I enjoy watching.

The first one I wanted to do was the Clouded Sulphur Butterfly (Colias philodice).

I often see large groups of them in the late spring through to the middle of autumn grouped around puddles and damp spots on the driveway.

This one I saw in the garden by the bird bath, which was surrounded by tulips and daffodils.

Butterfly 9

I may add more spring flowers to this drawing at a later date.

My second drawing is of a Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) which is my favourite butterfly.

Butterfly 10

As a child when I lived at in Toronto, I used to collect the caterpillars, feed them milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and watch them when they left their chrysalis as butterflies and then released them back into the wild.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Today I am sitting the show at KAGS called Figuratively Speaking and I worked on completing a some of the small paintings that I had started last year (see posts on 05 October 2015).

Unfortunately, I cannot post the sketches of any of the nudes in the exhibit on this blog as there are people who do not know the difference is between pornography and art created with the sole intention of portraying the nude body as art. This is a respected art form which has been around for centuries and can be found in museums and art galleries throughout the world.

If you would like to view the paintings I have in this exhibit or view in other exhibits, as well as paintings, drawings and sketches I have worked on in Life Drawing studios please follow the link to my Life Drawing Portfolio.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Yesterday the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group painted at the Cavan Art Gallery and Galerie Q, which are two art galleries located side by side on County Road 10 in Cavan Monoghan, Ontario.

In the afternoon the Group went to Galerie Q and were given a tour of the Gallery with a dialogue on the various artists and their paintings.

Their current exhibit for the month of June presents a one time opportunity for the public to start or add to their art collection of original paintings for $1,000.00 or less each.

The Gallery's collection of Canadian masterpieces consists of over 500 pieces of original art by artists who have attained the RCA (Royal Canadian Academy of Arts) designation.

In addition to this collection they feature the works of selected and very talented emerging, mid career and senior artists who have shown mastery in their field of art.

The beautifully laid out gallery is a feast for the eyes. It displays approximately 125 paintings at a time, with the exhibition changing each month during the summer and every other month in the winter.

The accent pieces placed throughout the gallery are delightful. Sculptures in metal, porcelain and marble together with enchanting pieces of hand blown and formed glass.

The dark, polished hardwood floor adds warmth to the rooms and reflects light from the windows and the pale coloured walls.

The inviting table and chairs in the centre of the main gallery on the lower level beckon people to sit and relax with a beverage and enjoy and reflect on the artwork presented.

The first floor is not the only place to find wonderful art work.

There is another large room upstairs on the second floor where you may even be able to view the new works that have arrived for the upcoming exhibition.

The historic, two storey building has hosted a variety of businesses throughout the years.

It started as one of two post offices established in Cavan Monaghan Township on 06 January 1830, the second one was in Bailieboro.

Since then it has been a butcher shop, a grocery store, a restaurant, a tearoom and a variety store before sitting empty for almost a decade, before the gallery owner purchased the building.

Then spending seven years renovating the building to its current state before the Gallery could hold its official opening on Friday, 12 December 2014.

If you are in the area be sure to visit Galerie Q at the four corners (Highway 7A and County Road 10) in Cavan Monaghan Township. I am sure you will return often.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

After two days without humidity, we are once again back into the warm weather 83F (28.3C) and high humidity 94F (34.4C).

Today the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group painted at Cavan Art Gallery and Galerie Q, which are two art galleries located side by side on County Road 10 in Cavan Monoghan, Ontario.

The Cavan Art Gallery is owned and operated by Valerie Kent who recently taught a class at KAGS on watercolour painting on canvas (see post on 30 April 2016).

I thoroughly enjoyed the class and look forward to taking another class with Valerie at her Cavan Art Academy in the fall.

The house, Gallery and Art Academy rest on a lovely seven acres (2.8ha) parcel of land along the Cavan Creek.

Both the Gallery and Art Academy opened in the spring of this year in a completely renovated hip roof barn.

When you enter the Gallery it is hard to believe it was ever a barn. The original concrete floor stills shows the cracks and now gleams like polished marble. The interior walls and main support beams are covered with drywall to display the artwork. Looking up toward the ceiling you can still see the foundation beams stained a warm dark colour.

Each painting is beautifully presented and showcases Valerie's work and those of a few selected other artists.

As you go through the Gallery you will come across a flight of stairs leading to the upper level which houses the classroom for the Cavan Art Academy.

You are greeted to a wonderful, large, clean and airy, well lit space having both natural and artificial light. It is an inspiring place to develop your artistic talents.

If you have a chance, it is well worth the drive to go out and enjoy the works of art gracing the walls at the Cavan Art Gallery or take one of the many art courses offered the Cavan Art Academy.